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A ROMA boy is recovering after being diagnosed with meningococcal while four other local children are recovering from meningitis.

The 14-year-old boy arrived at Roma Hospital last Saturday and was transferred to a Brisbane hospital on Sunday for further observation.

South West Public Health Physician Dr Penny Hutchinson said the boy has been treated and is recovering well.

"All close contacts of the case have been identified by health authorities and offered antibiotics," Ms Hutchinson said.

"(That's) to clear the meningococcal bacteria from anyone who might be carrying it in their nose or throat and prevent them from passing it on to someone else who may develop disease."

Ms Hutchinson said as part of the public health response a letter has been sent to the boy's school and circulated to all parents at that school.

Dr Penny Hutchinson said it was important to emphasise meningococcal is not a virus, and it does not spread easily.

"Very few people go on to develop the disease, and most of these make a complete recovery," Dr Hutchinson said.

Dr Hutchinson said the affected child was one of a cluster of five children who had been admitted to Roma Hospital.

"The other four children, one of whom also was transferred to Brisbane for further observation, turned out to have a form of viral meningitis,'' she said.

All the other four children also were recovering well.

Dr Hutchinson said viral meningitis was an infection of the meninges, which is the thin lining of the brain and spinal cord.

She said the symptoms of viral meningitis could be quite similar to those of bacterial meningitis such as meningococcal.

"Due to the similarity of viral meningitis to those of bacterial meningitis, it is important that people seek medical attention as soon as possible if they are concerned that they may have meningitis of any kind,'' she said.

It can be caused by a number of different viruses and is often a complication of another viral illness.

It is a fairly common disease and almost all cases occur as single, isolated events.

Outbreaks are rare and most cases of viral meningitis are mild and most people make an excellent recovery.

A vaccine against one strain of meningococcal bacteria has been offered to all children, at their first birthday, since 2003.

However, the vaccine cannot prevent all cases of the disease.

For this reason, the public, especially parents, need to be aware of the main symptoms of the disease.

Symptoms of Meningococcal

A high fever

Severe headache

Vomiting

Muscle and joint pains

Drowsiness

A rash that emerges and spreads rapidly. The rash initially looks like very small bruises just under the surface of the skin.

Young babies may also have other symptoms, such as refusing to feed, irritability and dislike of being handled, and lethargy.

Anyone with these symptoms, in particular a rapidly spreading bruise-like rash, should be taken promptly for medical assessment.

Facts about Meningococcal

Meningococcal is a severe but uncommon infections caused by a bacterial germ

It can affect all age groups but is most common for infants, teenagers and youg adults

About 10 per cent of people carry meningococcal bacteria in their throats and noses without having any symptoms.

The bacteria are spread via droplets from the nose or throat shed during coughing and sneezing, but close and prolonged contact with a carrier is usually needed to become infected